I've Just Seen A Face
by robinsongirl
Summary: My take on how Carlisle and Esme met. one-shot.


**Carlisle and Esme's relationship has always intrigued me, so I brainstormed and here you go. This starts when Esme was 16 and fell out of the tree. Title taken from the song by The Beatles.**

I've Just Seen A Face

"Esme!" Esme laughed as she continued to climb farther up the tree. "Esme, we're going to get into trouble! Please come down!" Esme paused in her climbing to look back down at her sour faced best friend.

"Katherine, nobody will even notice we're gone." Esme thought back to the boring wedding reception they had just escaped from. "They're all fast asleep with boredom themselves!" She gathered her skirts around her again and reached for another branch. "I don't know why they got married anyway… they don't love each other!"

Katherine's appalled gasp drew her attention back to the ground. "How could you say such things Esme? Of course they love each other! Why else would they get married?"

Esme couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend naivety. "I saw the bridegroom leave the rehearsal diner last night with the Bride's Maid." She glanced down again to see her friends shocked face. "They're only getting married because it's beneficial to both families."

"But surely they can learn to love each other. That would be so romantic…" Katherine sighed dreamily, her face flushing.

"Is that what you want Katherine? To marry someone you didn't love in hope that one day you might?"

"What if it's our only choice Esme? What if we don't fall in love? What would you do, die an old maid?" her voice sounded disbelieving.

"Yes." Esme said simply. "I would rather die alone than to marry someone I didn't love." She turned back to the tree and climbed up another branch. "How could a marriage work without love?"

She reached for the next branch; she was almost to the top of the tree now. She steadied her arms before lifting one foot, and then the other. She waited for her right foot to make contact with the limb, but instead, it continued to travel through empty space. A panicked scream escaped her lips as she lost her grip and began to fall. Her life didn't flash before her eyes; it didn't happen in slow motion. Her only thought was "Mother is going to kill me if I ruin this dress!"

"Esme!" Katherine cried rushing forward as Esme landed and an odd snap sounded. It took Esme a moment to realize that she wasn't dead before the pain hit. Esme cried out in pain as she tried to stand, only to collapse back onto the ground. "I'll go get help!" Katherine rushed back toward the reception and returned shortly with her mother and father close behind.

"Esme!" Her father called, rushing forward. He seemed to relax some when he realized she was relatively fine. "Only you would manage to hurt yourself when Dr. Heath is out of town!" He teased. They both smiled.

"Esme Anne Platt!" Her mother's shrill voice forced the smile from both of their faces. "What were you thinking? You've interrupted the reception, and you could have ruined your dress!" She continued to ramble on as Esme's father carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her back toward the party.

Mummers swarmed around the party as they reappeared. "Sorry to leave so suddenly folks, but we must get Esme to a doctor in Columbus."

"David, do you need to borrow my car? It would get you there faster…"

Esme twisted around to see who had offered. Mr. Evenson. Selfishly Esme wished her father would say yes. They would look so important pulling up to the hospital in The Evenson's shiny black Model T.

"Yes, thank you Peter."

Esme smile triumphantly, at least something good came from today.

It was dark by the time they got into Columbus. Esme was too exhausted and in too much pain to care that no one would see them arrive. Her father carried her into the hospital and a nurse directed them into a small room, telling them that Dr. Cullen would be in shortly.

Esme studied the room they were in, but quickly got bored with the off-white walls.

After what seemed like a lifetime to Esme, the door finally opened and in stepped the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He was tall, blonde, and well built. His smile was brilliant and distracted Esme from whatever he was saying to her father. He turned toward her. "You must be Esme." She nodded, hypnotized by his voice. "What happened that left you with a broken leg?"

She blushed furiously. "I was climbing a tree, and fell." She stared down at her hands, embarrassed by her stupid mistake.

"Yes, gravity often gets the best of us." He smiled again, and this time Esme smiled with him. There was something about this doctor that made her feel safe. She gasped as his cold hands touched her leg, examining the break. "Sorry. A lot of doctors suffer from cold hands." He winked at her and she flushed again.

She studied his face as he studied her leg. His skin was pale, like he didn't see the sun often, but she guessed most doctors didn't. His eyes were a deep caramel, surrounded by bruise like, purple circles. She suddenly found herself worrying that he wasn't sleeping well. He looked up at her again, saying something, but she didn't hear it again because as their eyes met, Esme realized that she had fallen in love.

"Carlisle, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife; To love and to Cherish, to hold and to honor, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?" The minister turned to Carlisle, but the blonde vampire had eyes only for his bride.

"I do, forever." He smiled widely at Esme, still managing to send butterflies loose in her stomach.

"And Esme, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband; To love and to Cherish, to hold and to honor, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do, forever." She repeated.

This is love; She reminded herself. This is what she had been waiting for.

"You may now kiss the bride."

**Yay! I love Carlisle/Esme so much!**

**Please R&R! **

**3 SEM**


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